Dining review: Local and coastal the draw at revamped Nick's Cove

Rain pounding on the car roof, we wound our way around yet another infamous Highway One S-curve, high beams blazing a hole in the darkness. Then suddenly, a beacon — blue lights, strung along Nick's pier, beckoning with a shimmer and a flick. We had arrived; a warm fire and a hearty meal awaited.

Sold in 2011 to a group of silent investors after a ballyhooed makeover by Pat Kuleto, et al, the revamped, prettied-up yet ever country-coastal Nick's Cove is much as it was. The dining rooms still feels like a hunting and fishing camp lodge with dark woods, brass accents, an open-hearth stone fireplace and taxidermied critters gazing upon the scene. But there's a twist.

Executive chef Austin Perkins, working the stoves at Nick's Cove since 2008, added "executive" to his title during the transition and kept many of the familiar menu items and the focus on seasonal, Marin- and Sonoma-sourced foods.

But Perkins' winter menu speaks volumes about his ability to juggle an interest in gamier meats with the abundant, ultra-fresh seafood, often caught within view of his kitchen, that Nick's is known for. It speaks to Perkins' capacity to articulate the range of skills needed to showcase these diverse selections.

Of course there are oysters in all manner of preparation — Hog Island is steps away though Tomales Bay and Preston Point are also represented — and the New England-style clam chowder ($11) is not going anywhere. With other dishes, Perkins casts a gimlet eye to fresh and light versus hale and hearty.

Perfectly cooked seared dayboat scallops ($17) had a gorgeous honeyed character, the cipollini onions melding beautifully with the blood orange juice, champagne vinegar and brown sugar in the accompanying gastrique. Crab mac 'n' cheese ($16), a riff on the rib-sticking classic, benefited from big pieces of crab and a not too heavy three-cheese and Mornay sauce.

Daily seafood specials reflect what's sustainable/seasonal and Perkins' wish to prepare it "so you can taste the fish." For winter, that means halibut in a delicate nage ($24) with squash and root vegetables and a chili-flecked cioppino ($24) with layers of tomato, aromatics and seasonings enriching the stock. Seared ahi ($25), atop a radiant orange carrot purée, was gussied up with a robust kumquat and coriander relish that tamed the sweet carrot and boosted the mild fish.

On the meatier side, smoked veal gnocchi ($26) had a depth of flavor unusual for this mild mannered youngster. First bathed in almondwood smoke then braised in veal stock, the pulled shoulder meat was rich yet intriguing. Perkins smartly paired the veal's now-dense, full-throated flavor with knuckle-sized pasta and a hint of sauce sweetened with cipollini and tomato jam. Goat meatballs ($13), blanketed in a Moroccan-spiced tomato-leek sauce, were boldly gamey — almost tart. Duck confit pot pie ($24), thickened with velouté and scented with thyme and marjoram, was soft and creamy, crowned with butter-rich pastry.

Cauliflower salad ($10) with mustard vinaigrette and grilled endive with prosciutto di Parma and blood orange relish ($14) were hearty enough to be entrées. But I would use any remaining calories on the sublime desserts.

Crafted by pastry chef Gillian Helquist, the sweet endings ($9) are designed to add lightness at the finale of a big meal. And her confections are just that. Meyer lemon semifreddo, ethereal layers of sponge and tangy cream, was tarted up with huckleberry sauce while lemon verbena pot de crème, served with an almond quince financier, was joyfully fresh and sprightly. And the bittersweet chocolate tart, more mousseline than flourless, winked with candied kumquats and vanilla ice cream.

Perkins' citrus-inflected winter menu matches the feeling of old roadhouse-cum-hunting and fishing lodge. Game meats paired with seafood feels perfectly appropriate here. Besides, if this is what Perkins and Helquist can do with lemons and kumquats, I cannot wait to drive up in the fog of summer and experience their take on peaches and strawberries.

Christina Mueller writes about food — restaurants, chefs, products and trends — for local and national publications as well as other industry clients. Send her an email at ij@christinamueller.com.